NBA Playoffs: Lakers’ Metta World Peace Out Game 4

Coming into the 2012-13 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers were considered to be a legitimate NBA title contender in Las Vegas odds with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol getting some help in the form of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. The superstar combination of all these players was thought to be a recipe for success in Los Angeles with one or more championships on the horizon as a result.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the new-look roster hasn’t panned out as anticipated with Los Angeles barely locking up a playoff spot and seemingly on the verge of being swept by the veteran savvy San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers have been absolutely ravaged by injuries this season with almost every player on the squad being out for a considerable amount of time at some point during the regular season. Kobe, Gasol, Dwight and Nash have all missed time this season and Kobe ultimately went down for year with a torn Achilles.

As if Kobe losing Kobe for the playoffs and potentially for the rest of his career, the Lakers’ injury woes continued into the postseason with Steve Nash nowhere near 100 percent and Steve Blake going down.

Coming into Game 4 against the Spurs at the Staples Center on Sunday night, the Lakers will be without Nash, Blake, Jodie Meeks and Metta World Peace. All four players are dealing with injuries that will have them all sidelined for potentially the last game of the season for the Lakers.

Although the Lakers are heavy underdogs in Las Vegas odds against the Spurs in Game 4 (-11), Los Angeles losing all of these players for what will more than likely be the last game of the season is ironic to say the least. Injuries have been the main reason for the team’s struggles this season and the year will end the same way it began with some of the team’s best players watching rather than playing.